


In the Roads and City Streets

by h_nb



Series: Asher [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Captured, Conditioning, Creepy Whumper, Dehumanization, Escape, Failed escape, On the Run, Original Character(s), Pet whump, Whump, Whumptober 2020, needle mention, sedatives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:07:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26841880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/h_nb/pseuds/h_nb
Summary: Whumptober Day Five: Failed Escape
Series: Asher [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952164
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	In the Roads and City Streets

Asher sat on the bus stop bench, and considered hitchhiking.

His foot tapped lightly on the concrete beneath him, drawing the annoyed gaze of one or two who were waiting at the same terminal. Asher thought distantly that the tapping wasn't helping his chances of some good samaritan taking pity on him and his lack of funds, but he didn't feel like he could stop moving until he was away, far enough away that no one would find him again. He had to run, he had to go, but his legs felt like lead from walking for so very long. He knew he needed to get onto a bus somehow, but with no money in his pocket, hitchhiking was becoming a more appealing option.

So, as a few more buses came and went with no one seeming to notice him or take any kind of pity, Asher's tapping foot came to a stop and he stood, tired muscles trembling slightly as he began to walk once more, down sunny sidewalks choked with people, more people than he had been around in months. Panic filled his lungs, keeping his breath from moving through his body, but he made it through crowed with hunched shoulders and quick, aching feet.

Asher stopped at the side of the road outside of that small but crowded town, uncertainty freezing his actions. All he knew of hitchhiking is what he could remember from media, sticking a thumb out, from what he remembered, so Asher did so, swaying slightly in the grass. A breeze rushed through from some speeding car, sending Asher's greasy hair flopping into his eyes and his dirt-stained shirt rustling at the sudden air. He shivered as the collar of his shirt brushed against his neck, the phantom memory of that tight leather band that had made its mark in his skin for so long suddenly a fresh feeling again. Asher reached up with a shaking hand and adjusted the fabric, willing his heart to beat a bit slower.

Minutes passed, and cars drove by without stopping. Arm aching, Asher took a brief break to clear the smudges from his glasses, gently pulling them off his face to rub them against the end of his shirt. Only, the moment he took them off, an overwhelming feeling of panic overtook him, doubling him over like he had been punched in the gut. Feelings of failure and shame crowded his brain, and apologies were on his lips before he could discern what was going on, just like he was supposed to. Asher bit his tongue, the sharp pain bringing his focus to the blurry, waving grass underneath his feet, separating him from the memory of a pristine house and knees digging into hardwood floor. He inhaled sharply, fingers rubbing the fabric across the glass he clutched tightly in his fingers, jamming the glasses onto his face so hard it hurt. Only then did his breathing kickstart again, fluttering and panicked through his open mouth.

In a clouded haze, Asher stuck his thumb out again, watching the cars go by numbly. At some point, someone stopped to pick him up, and he only just barely remembered how to converse normally in a way that didn't seem strange enough to try and call any authorities. His name getting logged in a system was a quick way for him to be found again, and he couldn't be found anymore, he had to run.

The stranger, who was very kind and gave Asher some beef jerky and dried fruit, drove him several miles away from the town, only asking a few questions every now and then. Asher answered them with as few stammers as he could manage, staring out the window when he wasn't being talked to, feeling the unfamiliar meat turn in his mostly-empty stomach.

The stranger -- who introduced themself as Blake -- was really nice, filling the silence with gentle music or casual conversation, and Asher made sure to listen with all the interest he could muster as they talked about their trip they planned on taking, the films they hoped to shoot. They drove until the sun started to set, and then came a brief moment of awkwardness between them, unsure of how the night before them would play out.

"I can, I'll be okay h-here, and the next- the- the next, p-p-place." Asher gave them a small smile that he hoped hid how unsure he really was. "Thank, th-thank you for, for the ride."

"You sure you're alright?" Blake asked, looking genuinely concerned. For a moment Asher wondered about safety in numbers, and if he stayed with this person if they could get further away quicker.

But he could be found anyways, and Blake could be with them, and Asher didn't want to subject anyone else to Him. So he nodded more empathetically, already reaching for the handle of the door with a shaking hand. "Yeah, I'm, I- I'm sure, thank, thank you."

Daylight was fading, and Asher stood on an empty street corner, wondering what to do next. Uncertainty filled his thoughts again, with how far he had to go, what to do next, how he was going to live.

There was a part of him that reminded him how easy it was before he messed everything up and left, not having to think about anything

(except everything)

only having to do one thing

(such a complicated thing, endlessly complex and unable to be unraveled entirely)

only have to

be good

 _(run_.)

Asher blinked, the fading sunlight now entirely gone and replaced by an oppressing darkness. He licked his lips nervously, and set off walking again. No plan, not really sure what he was going to do, but walk, because it was all he had anymore.

Weariness kept his mind foggy and unfocused, and he didn't notice the sleek car creeping up on him in the darkness until he belatedly noticed the headlights streaming across the sidewalk.

He froze, turning his head slowly behind him.

The door was opening, and Asher didn't want to stick around to find out if who he so deeply feared was on the other side.

So he bolted, body aching. The door slammed shut behind him and the car swerved quickly forward, turning the corner to block the upcoming street. Asher stumbled to a sudden stop, and tried to turn to run back, or to his left, anywhere but forward. But while his body figured out which way he was turning, the door opened and a pale-haired man moved swiftly, yanking Asher forward despite the way his feet attempted to move the other way. He felt the unfortunately familiar tight pinch of a needle in his arm, and tried desperately to yank himself away before he completely lost agency over himself, a frightened yelp skittering out of his mouth as he worked to stay standing.

"Here you are," Magnus said evenly, like Asher hadn't been missing for days.

Asher twisted in his grip, tears beading in his eyes. "N-n-n-no," he stammered, barely breathing as dark spots began to swim in his eyes. "St-st-st--" His side hit something soft, and through vision that was growing increasingly blurrier, he could make out the lit interior of a car. "St...op," he slurred, shrinking away from the gentle touch on his head. "I... I'm not... nh..i.. i... 'm g...gonna leave a...again."

"You won't," Magnus promised as the car drove away, beginning the journey back home. His hand brushed over the space between the back of Asher's neck and his shoulder where a barely visible bump held the tracker that had led Magnus directly to him, no matter how far he tried to run.

Asher's eyes slid shut entirely, tears sliding down his face, fearing the retribution he knew was to come.


End file.
